My Gospel Story

I was a happy kid, but still a kid who was in the world, of the world, and influenced by the world.  My schooling was a continuous competition against others.  I was living a life meticulously planned to protect my best interest and pursue a “happy” future that was perhaps set by the society and my own parents.  

But in God’s providence, the door to church was easily accessible to me since many of my Korean school friends and neighbors were Christians.  They would invite me and I was easily sold to some storytelling about Jesus.  I was drawn to the nice people, fun games, good music, and free lunches.  So I began to attend church regularly because my friends included me. 

Over time, I slowly came to like what I heard and sang about Jesus.  He seemed like a “nice guy” who also welcomed me as part of His family.  My heart was gradually softening.  

But there were a couple of personal experiences that grew me in the faith: 

JOY

During my whimsical church outreach to Cambodia in high school,  I discovered the joy of abiding in Christ, the beauty of Christ-centered community, and spiritual experience during group prayer.  In Philippians 4:4, Paul said, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"  This verse encourages believers to maintain a joyful spirit in all circumstances and find joy in their relationship with the Lord. On that mission trip, I experienced something more than happiness—which was joy. 

MERCY

Through a powerful sermon, I learned about Jesus' mercy and compassion as He experienced abandonment and persecution leading to crucifixion.  In Luke 23:34, "Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”  This powerful statement was made when Jesus was on the cross. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus' forgiveness and sacrifice was given to us not when we were perfect and deserving, but while we were ungrateful, prideful and broken.  And in truth, mercy, compassion and forgiveness are in essence a form of His love for us. And realizing the depth of His love made me not only realize my own brokenness and sins but I began thirsting for a journey of sanctification. 

SOVEREIGNTY

Over time, there have been many other times I witnessed, experienced and became convinced of God’s sovereignty.  I’m a pretty independent individual who likes to plan, pave my own way and make things happen.  But while the world we live in encourages us with false doctrines like, “You are the owner of your life” or “You can make anything happen,” I’ve come to realize my human limitations time after time.  Isaiah 55:8-9 says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  

At first, I wrestled with God’s sovereignty because I like my autonomy.  I like to be in control; but after years of walking with God, I realize that His plans are indeed much more beautiful, sometimes coupled with growth pains but still, more wonderful than my own. 

I am so grateful that God found me and He’s given me faith, that although unseen, is anchored deep within me.  And while I’m still a work in progress, this faith in God prompts me to be different in my thoughts and behavior.  Every day is a battle between the flesh and the Spirit.  I’m learning to be joyful not just in my highs but also in my lows.  I’m asking God to lead me through the maze of life instead of surrendering to temptation and distractions.  I’m putting down the heart that serves self, so that I can glorify God.  I’m breaking through my old habits to pursue Christ-likeness, and that’s really tough but I know He doesn’t look at our outward performance but our hearts. 

We are in Tokyo, Japan where only about 1% are Christians, and yet God has brought me to The Bridge Fellowship where I can find many friends who are convinced of the same Gospel.  They have passion to know God and to follow Him.  I truly thank God for allowing me to join this church and have an encouraging community—for everything good comes from above.  I truly look forward to walking in Christ together for His glory. 

Chaewon Kim (or C.K) is a beloved member of The Bridge Fellowship and co-leader of Bridge Community Group.

Fear Not, Little Flock

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12: 32).  

Do you often feel small, powerless and fearful?  The Bridge Fellowship is a “little flock”—with little influence.  We are few in number and weak with limitations.  We often fear that we might not have enough people or resources.  When first time visitors come, they may be tempted to despise our smallness—-in a marketplace of competition, comparison and consumerism.  

But our great Shepherd does not despise us. He says, “Fear not, little flock.”  We are small but He is great!  He sees us as a “little flock” because we are dear to Him.  Our Shepherd feeds and provides for us (vv. 22-29).  We need not fear of lacking resources or manpower simply because we are “little” in number.  Even the disciples were a “little flock” in comparison to the religious leaders and the powerful Romans.  But it was for His “little flock” that the great Shepherd laid down His life.   

From the earliest of times, God has always worked through little people.  He chose a weak elderly childless couple (Abraham and Sarah) and created the nation of Israel.  He said to the Isrealites, 

“It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set His love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples” (Deut. 7: 7).   

Therefore, we can take comfort and courage that the Lord often chooses the smallest.  He can take our weak church and turn us into trophies of His grace.  He has set His love on us and chosen us, not because we are more in number than other churches.  We might even be among the fewest of the churches in Tokyo.  When we consider the needs of gospel mission in a nation with only about 1 % Christian, it can feel intimidating.   

But Jesus says to us, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  Though we are little, our Father is pleased to give us the kingdom in which Christ our shepherd King rules.  He has given us a kingdom that cannot be shaken or destroyed.  Just as He used fearful disciples to turn the world upside down, He can take a small church to advance His kingdom.   

Remember Jesus Himself!  Jesus came from Bethlemen of Ephrathah—”the smallest of the clans of Judah” (Luke 2: 5, 7, Micah 5: 2).   His power is displayed in and through little people.  When we pray, “Your kingdom come” (Luke 11: 2) He is advancing His kingdom for His glory.  Therefore, let us not fear because of our smallness.  Fear not, The Bridge Fellowship!  Your heavenly Father is pleased to give you His kingdom. 

With love,

Pastor Joey.Z

Live Much In The Smiles of God

Robert M’Cheyne, a Scottish pastor from the nineteenth century, is most known for the annual bible reading plan he developed which many people continue to use today.

In this brief excerpt of a letter he wrote to his friend, M’Cheyne writes about his love of Christ. This is so timely in an age where the messages that we breathe in and out tells us to look within us, or look at ourselves to discover ourselves in order to find freedom. Or the other way in some evangelical circles is to read our scriptures in a self-centered way that makes it all about us. Nevertheless, according to M’Cheyne, the way to be free is not to look at ourselves, or within us. The way to be free is to look away from ourselves frequently to Christ— everyday, every moment. He writes:-

Learn much of the Lord Jesus. For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ. He is altogether lovely.  Such infinite majesty, and yet such meekness and grace, and all for sinners, even the chief! Live much in the smiles of God. Bask in His beams. Feel His all-seeing. Eye settled on you in love, and repose in His almighty arms.

Cry after divine knowledge and lift up your voice for understanding. Seek her as silver, and search for her as hid treasure, according to the word in Proverbs 2:4. See that verse 10 be fulfilled in you. Let wisdom enter into your hearts, and knowledge be pleasant to thy soul; so, you will be delivered from the snares mentioned in the following verses.

Let your soul be filled with a heart-ravishing sense of the sweetness and excellency of Christ and all that is in Him. Let the Holy Spirit fill every chamber of your heart; and so there will be no room for folly, or the world, or Satan, or the flesh.

I must now commend you all to God and the word of His grace. My dear people are just assembled for worship. Alas! I cannot preach to them tonight. I can only carry them and you on my heart to the throne of grace. Write me soon. Ever yours, etc.

—Rev. Robert Murray McCheyne, (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1966), 293.

In Christ the Father smiles upon us because of what Jesus has done. As we read our scriptures, we find that Christ is altogether lovely.

For every sin we see in ourselves, let’s look ten times at Christ and His finished work.

What is sabbatical rest?

“Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” — (Mark 6: 31).   

Cities are transient. 

Many people come and leave after a while.  Be it church or workplace, University, people are in and out of our lives.  “For many were coming and going.” Just when deep relationships are starting to form, people leave, and we leave too. Working in a cultural context where there is no concept of sabbath rest can drain us emotionally and spiritually.  We are called to serve God in our vocations.  But we also need Jesus’ invitation to go away “to a desolate place and rest a while.”  Without this rhythm of work, rest and renewal, no one can last for long.  

Going away is not always easy.

In Mark’s Gospel, Mark often uses the word “immediately” to describe gospel urgency. Mark’s Gospel is full of action. But in the same Gospel account, Jesus invites His disciples to rest a while. Christians are called to be living sacrifices (see Romans 12: 1) but not burn-out offerings. There is work to be done today, and there are many needs awaiting us tomorrow. In a culture that finds its worth and identity in productivity, it is easy to compare, compete, overwork and idolize immediacy in the workplace and church. It is easy to set a pace that the Spirit is not setting.

But Jesus was led by the Spirit.

He needed times of rest and renewal as He was limited in the flesh.  He needed to get away from ministry busyness to spend unhurried times alone with His Father (see Mark 1: 35, Mark 6: 46).   As people’s demands increased daily, Jesus could see that His disciples were especially exhausted.  So He led them away with Him to rest a while. Even the renowned English prince of preachers once said,

“Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength….It is wisdom to take occasional furlough. In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less….Let no tender conscience doubt the lawfulness of going out of harness for awhile, but learn from the experience of others the necessity and duty of taking timely rest.” –(Charles H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students)

Sabbath rest is not a “break, holiday or vacation” but intentional rest, away from ministry and work demands, where we are not “doing” but being in Christ.  It is a holistic time of rest, reflection, prayer, recreation and be renewed to re-enter work.

Jesus invites us to rest in Him.

Jesus Himself invites us: “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.”  This invitation is sacred.  It is an invitation to rest deeply in Jesus and trust that He is ever present and working—even when we’re away.  Even when we are at rest, He is working out His will and He is able to provide all that we need.

The essence of religion is: “Work hard to prove yourself.”

But the heart of the Gospel is: “Rest in Jesus’ finished work.”

To learn more on what Sabbath rest is and why it matters watch sermon on Sabbath and Gospel Rest from our Gospel Basics Series :-

a) The work for which God made us.

b) The rest for which God made us.

c) The deeper rest Jesus gives to us.

Also read our Work and Rest Rhythms.

How Self Justification Undermines Grace

“Justification By Faith Alone” is not a basic christian doctrine.

“Self justification creates an outlook of aloofness and superiority and negative scrutiny and ‘gottcha’…..Trusting in ourselves that we are righteous and viewing others with contempt always go together! When we see the negative dynamics of dismissive contempt, there’s a reason. The reason is a gospel deficit in the heart however sincere the gospel profession in the head.” (Dane Ortlund)

I was reminded afresh of how subtle it is to believe in the doctrines of grace yet be seeking to self-justify in the attitudes of the heart.   We tend to lean towards this not so much in theory but in practice.  Let me explain.  One can be biblically astute and still be dramatically immature. The real danger, of course, comes when we think biblical maturity is mainly about precision of theological knowledge and biblical literacy, although they are extremely important.  Spiritual maturity is not primarily something we do with our minds (though we’re commanded to love God with all our minds).  Maturity is about how you live your life in light of the Gospel and what you claim to know.

“Justification by faith alone” is not merely a way to become a Christian. It is also a way to grow as a Christian.  It is possible to get an A on “justification by faith alone” in the Seminary, Bible College or Church Bible Studies, but fail to apply it thoroughly in the heart in ordinary everyday life. 

Asking yourself these questions can help:

How does my heart respond when confronted?

Am I always defensive about my mistakes and sins?

Am I being overly critical of others while overly defensive of myself?

Justification by faith alone, in Christ alone, also means that: I no longer need to call up my inner defense lawyer, and seek to justify myself even when my most noble motives come under close inspection.   It means I no longer need to justify myself through my words or actions.  It means I can now repent from comparing my efforts with others–and rest my case– and focus my heart on Christ who justifies and accepts me forever on the basis of His finished work on the cross. This is very hard, since we don’t get there easily or quickly.  It takes a lot of time, a lot of Gospel, a lot of patience , a lot of stumbling forward in grace.

“What is so often missing in the lives of many Christians is being “consciously clothed” in the righteousness of Christ. The result is that we “go into the manufacturing business” weaving a robe of our own righteousness that we trust will please God (not for justification but for an sense of our ongoing acceptance), and for which we expect the praise of others. Our hearts are deeply suspicious of free grace and our natural tendency is (even unconsciously) to supplement it with works of our own.”   (Serge- Grace at The Fray- 2nd edition; J.W.Long Nov.2011)

When most Christians think of sin, we tend to think only in terms of moralism.  So most Christians tend to think we are fine and can feel good about themselves if we can stay away from external “gross” sins that are done outside of the body.  However, we need grace to help us look at what the Bible says about our self-righteousness.  In the Old Testament, Isaiah said that our self-righteousness are like a polluted garment in God’s eyes: “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (Isaiah 64: 6).   

We might think it ironic that the religious Pharisee in the parable of Jesus considered himself a better (cleaner person) in comparison to the tax collector, simply because his religious outward cloak and profession produced in him a false sense of self- worth. This resulted in a superiority complex over tax collection (which was considered an unclean occupation in those times).  He sincerely believed he was “not like other men” or like the tax collector (Luke 18: 9-14). This is where the fundamental problem lies.

Similarly, when we forget the Gospel of grace, we may look down our noses momentarily on things that are related to people’s profession, clothing, occupation, race, culture–or even theological differences– and especially if they are not measuring up to our moral codes or standards.   Like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal, it’s easy to treat others harshly rather than graciously as a result of forgetting the Gospel of grace.   It’s easy to become spiritually prideful, especially if you’ve been a Christian for a long time, and live and talk like a drudging slave rather than like a son/daughter –accepted and loved unconditionally by the Father.  

In the New Testament, Paul (the former pharisee) regarded all his religious accomplishments and status as “dung” (excrement) “because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ” (Phil 3: 8).   In modern terms, “excrement” or “dung” is a waste product—something that no human being in their right minds would touch with their bare hands.  That’s a vivid picture of our self-righteousness in comparison to the holiness and righteousness of Christ.  In the Old Testament, God paints a gross picture of our self-righteousness as  “menstrual garment.”  In simple words, our self-righteousness, our best efforts, are so deeply tainted with sin, that it becomes untouchable, unclean, completely unacceptable before a holy God.  We see in the New Testament, that from a self-righteous, hard-nosed religious fundamentalist, the apostle Paul converted to become the “chief of sinners” (I Tim. 1: 15).   After coming to Christ, a former law-keeping religious Pharisee, who went around persecuting the recipients of grace, now sees his religion as “dung,” as “rubbish” or “garbage.”  In the light of God’s holiness and grace, He says, “I am the chief of sinners.”  

Because of Jesus, however, you are washed clean of all your “filthy religious rags” and have been given a new and far better clothing– the robe of righteousness– all because of Him who died as your substitute– bearing the just punishment for your sins.  And this righteousness of Christ is imputed, counted to you and me.  It’s something we can’t earn, undeserved, but have been freely given.  This gift of righteousness cannot get better, because it is the best there ever is and will be– it is the righteousness of the only One who knew no sin; the righteousness of the only One who obeyed God perfectly (2 Cor. 5: 21). We need not wear our filthy rags now to cover our shame and guilt.  Why would anyone want to pick up that filthy rags again, after having been clothed with a robe of righteousness in Christ?  We’re a new person now, and we’ve been given the status of a son and not a slave (2 Cor. 5: 17).

That’s how you grow in holiness.  Religion and irreligion reject God’s holiness on both sides of the extremes.  Religion says, “I am good enough for God.  He accepts me on the basis of my performance.”  And irreligion says, “I am my own god, ruling at the center of my life, defining my own destiny.”   The Gospel is a different radically life-changing way.

The way up, with God, is down. 

“For whoever humbles Himself will be exalted; and whoever exalts himself will be humbled” (Luke 18: 14).  Religion can never be holy enough for God.  It’s possible to be a strong advocate of God’s holiness in an unholy prideful way.  This was true in my life as well, and to a lesser degree today because of God’s abundant grace working in me.  It took a while for me to truly admit that I had the seed of the religious pharisee in me.  I came to Christ broken and desperate, but accepted and loved, and so I fell deeply in love with Him.   I began to grow loving His word like a newborn baby desiring milk.  But it wasn’t too long before I began to behave more like a cold Pharisee.  I thought to myself “I am, at least, Not Like That Drug Addict or THAT prostitute, or those Christians over there.”  So I would avoid “those” sinners, because (honestly) I was afraid that people might think I’m taking drugs too–by identifying with them. I was afraid of people’s disapproval instead of resting in God’s approval of me based on Christ’s righteousness.  But there was a hole in my personal holiness. 

I did not truly recognize God’s holiness– like the Pharisee in the famous parable (Luke 18: 9-14).  While professing to know that I am saved by grace, I began to look down my nose on those that I thought didn’t measure up to God’s standard.  But God is so merciful!  The more I began to recognize His holiness, the more I began to realize how much I don’t measure up.  And all the more I began to realize how great a Savior Jesus truly is!  And the more amazing His grace has become to me every day.  You see:  God’s grace gives us a whole new way of seeing ourselves, others and the world.  Grace gives us a new way to see people as created in His image, deeply loved by Jesus because He died and rose again for them.   Because I have a righteousness that is gifted to me by grace, and because I have an identity not based on my moral performance I can grow.

1. God’s grace lifts us up without puffing our hearts up.

2. God’s grace also humbles our religious spirit without humiliating us.

3.  God’s grace washes us of all our filth and clothes us with the best garment– the righteousness of Jesus, His son.

As you go about your day, remember that your best efforts are never so good enough that you are beyond the need for radical grace.  And your worst efforts are never so really bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s abundant grace. * God’s grace reaches you and meets you where you are– everyday, every moment, every hour and everywhere!  As the line in one song said, “Grace will lead me home.”  By the way, only One is truly “not like other men.”

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Note:

* A paraphrase of a line from “The Discipline of Grace: God's Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness” (by Jerry Bridges).

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